A printing apparatus typically includes a media advance system for advancing media from a media input holder to a print region. Because media can occasionally become jammed as it is being advanced through the printing apparatus, a cleanout member is provided in many printers. Typically an inner side of the cleanout member faces a portion of the media path. The cleanout member is conventionally configured to be removably mounted on the printing apparatus. If a media jam occurs, the user can remove the cleanout member to view and gain access to the jammed media. By manually taking hold of the jammed media, the user can remove it. The cleanout member is then reinstalled onto the printing apparatus and the printing job can continue.
Although a handle on the cleanout member usually makes it straightforward for the user to remove the cleanout member, reinstallation of the cleanout member can be nonintuitive. It can take several tries for the user to install the cleanout member correctly. Since the cleanout member typically forms one of the guide surfaces for a portion of the media path, if the cleanout member is not installed, the media can exit through the gap where the cleanout member should be and not make it to the print region. Thus, a cleanout member that is completely removed in order to clear media jams can be a source of frustration to the user during reinstallation.
A cleanout member that does not need to be completely removed from the printing apparatus in order to clear media jams can therefore be advantageous. A pivotable cleanout member that is attached to the printer housing by a hinge is advantaged because the user understands that after clearing the media jam he just needs to move the pivotable cleanout member to its closed position. There is no opportunity for the user to try to install such a cleanout member upside down or backwards.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,077 discloses a cleanout member (referred to there as a jam-door) having a hinge (or pivot) that is substantially parallel to the base of the printing apparatus. Since the base of the printing apparatus is horizontal during operation, such a hinge can also be called a horizontal hinge. The hinge in '077 is affixed to the housing of the printing apparatus at a position below the jam-door. Such a jam-door is opened by pivoting it downward. This is viable in the printing apparatus of '077 because the cleanout member is located somewhat above the base.
In a low-cost desktop printer, such as an inkjet printer, the printer is intended to sit on the user's desk or other flat surface that extends beyond the base of the printer. In addition, for a compact height printer having a C-shaped paper path (with the media input holder located below the media output holder), the cleanout member is typically located very close to the base of the printer. For a cleanout member located very close to the base of a desktop printer, a horizontal hinge configuration has disadvantages. If the hinge is located at the top of the cleanout member, the cleanout member would pivot upwards. However, since the user is typically taller than the desktop, the upwardly pivoted cleanout member would obscure visibility and interfere with access to the media path inside. Even if the user bent over so that his eyes were at desktop level, it would make it difficult to reach in and clear out paper jams between the upwardly pivoted cleanout member and the desktop. If the hinge is located at the bottom of the cleanout member (as in '077), the cleanout member would pivot downwards. However, if the cleanout member is located very near the base of the printing apparatus, its pivoting motion would typically cause it to hit the desktop before opening all the way, again interfering with visibility and access to the media path for clearing media jams.
What is needed is a cleanout member that does not require user installation, and that allows good visibility and access to media paths inside the printing apparatus in order to facilitate clearing out media jams.